Russian spy poisoning is Putin’s ‘declaration of WAR’: UK is now in ‘entirely new game’

Russian spy poisoning is Putin’s ‘declaration of WAR’: UK is now in ‘entirely new game’

RUSSIA has “broken all the rules” and taken assassinations to “a whole new level” following the apparent hit on Sergei Skripal, an expert claimed on BBC Newsnight yesterday as he called the attack on the spy “an act of war”.

Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found poisoned in Salisbury on Tuesday and taken to hospital where they are fighting for their lives.

The former double agent was charged by the Russian state in 2006 for passing intelligence to MI6 and sentenced to 13 years before being released as part of a high-profile swap in 2010.

The Russian state has denied responsibility for his poisoning, but author of “Spycraft Rebooted”, Edward Lucas, claimed on the BBC the attack was an “act of war” if Russia was found to be behind the attack.

He said: “If Russia is behind it then it means they are taking this to a whole new level, it is in effect a declaration of war from the Russians to bump off someone like that - if they did it.

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BBC: The expert claims if Russia is behind the hit it is an act of war

But spy expert Mr Lucas said this particular hit is an “entirely new game”.

He added: “It’s extraordinary audacious choice of victim, it doesn’t just break the rules it’s an entirely new game if they are doing this.

“Sergei Skripal was off the board he wasn’t in any sense a target, he was living under his own name, he wasn’t adopting any kind of public profile.

“So this is an absolute brazen, full-on challenge to Britain if Russia is indeed behind this attempted murder.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the Commons that if Mr Skripal was found to have been assassinated by the Russian state then he would have “a serious conversation about our engagement with Russia”.

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BBC: Skripal was charged with selling secrets to MI6

He warned: “Thinking ahead to the World Cup this summer, it is very difficult to imagine how UK representation at that event could go ahead in the normal way, and we will certainly have to consider that.”

Mr Johnson also accused Russia of being a maligning force in the world.

Responding directly to Mr Johnson’s address to MPs, the Russian Embassy said: “The Foreign Secretary spoke in such a manner as if the investigation was already over and Russia was found responsible for what had happened in Salisbury.

“We regret that instead of a proper official clarification on the issue the Foreign Secretary chose to threaten Russia with retribution.”